Forward horizontal packer

ABSTRACT

This specification discloses the packing of small planar or sheet-like items, particularly clothing labels, into containers, including an item support that shifts the items arcuately and then through a restricted opening into packed array in a container, and container advancing means that also operates a gate to close the opening during container advancement.

0 United States Patent [151 3,668,823 Larson [4 1 June 13, 1972 [54] FORWARD HORIZONTAL PACKER 2,851,172 9/1958 Seragnoli 214/7 2,651 896 9/1953 Woodruffet al.. ....214/7 UX l t l t [72] Lamncand 3,122,870 3/1964 Stemmler ....214/7 ux [73] Assignee: Rospatch Corporation, Grand 1 Rapids, 3,282,019 1 H1966 Ehlscheid ..53/252 X Mich.

[22] Filed: Sept. 8 1970 Prirnary raminer-Theron E. Condon Assistant Examiner-Neil Abrams PP 70,126 Attorney-Price, Heneveld,Huizenga&Cooper 52 us. Cl .53/250, 214/7 1 ABSTRACT [51] Int. CL... ..B65b5/10, 865g 57/00 This 8 pecification discloses the packing of small planar or [58] FIBId ofSeaI'ch 53/159, 24:9-253; Sheeblike items particularly i g labels into containers 93/93 including an item support that shifts the items arcuately and Reerences Cited then through a restricted opening into packed array in a contamer, and container advancing means that also operates a UNITED STATES PATENTS gate to close the opening during container advancement.

2,148,371 2/1939 Galloway ..214/7 X 3 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures 3668,8213 sum 28? 5 INVENTOR.

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,477JA4/6V5 FORWARD HORIZONTAL PACKER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to packing of individual small or sheet-like items into an orderly array.

Clothing labels, usually after being printed with appropriate information, are advanced in a strip, and subsequently severed into individual like items. These items are placed in stacks and then packed, usually manually, into containers. Retention of the items in neat array during such operations is difficult to achieve with known methods and apparatus. Further, stacking and packing of labels normally requires more time than the preceding printing, cutting, folding and ironing of the labels, thereby creating a production bottleneck tending to slow down the entire operation.

planar SUMMARY OF THE. INVENTION An object of this invention is to provide unique high speed packing of small planar, sheet-like items, particularly labels, into a face to face array. The items are individually successively shifted from an edge-advanced relation to a face-advanced relation through a controlled arc.

Another object of the invention is to provide packing apparatus for small planar or sheet-like items, having a pivotal flipper which shifts the labels through an arc with the edge of the label being positioned exactly by arcuate retention flanges against which the label is placed and retained by centrifugal force, to be aligned with a receiving container, for example. The label is advanced through a special restricted retention gate that allows flipper return without label return.

Another object of the invention is to provide label packing apparatus that specially positions a receiving container with a special gate through which labels are successively advanced for packing. T-he containers are advanced one by one relative to the gate for filling of the container, and are specially aligned and engaged to the gate. The gate is specially closed during advancement of each container full of labels to prevent dislodging of endmost labels therein at the gate.

These and several other objects and features of the invention will become apparent upon studying the following specification in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the novel apparatus, shown in combination with conventional label folding, ironing, and advancing mechanism;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus in FIG. I viewed generally from the opposite end to that in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of a portion of the apparatus in FIGS. 1 and 2, absent the label folding, ironing and advancing mechanism, absent the vertical guides for the receiving containers, and illustrating a portion of the apparatus in phantom;

FIG. 4 is a view taken on plane IVIV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view taken on plane V-V of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the arcuate label retention and guide means of the apparatus;

FIG. 7 is a view taken on plane VII-VII of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a view taken on plane VIII-VIII of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a view taken on plane IX-IX of FIG. 3;

FIG. 10 is an elevational view of a portion of the apparatus taken in the direction X in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 11 is an elevational view of the apparatus in FIG. 10 taken on plane XIXI.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now specifically to the drawings, the combination 10 illustrated (FIGS. 1 and 2) is shown to include the novel apparatus 12 combined with a conventional label folding, ironing and edge advancing mechanism 14 of the type illustrated, for example in u. 5. Pat. No. 2,204,189, (without the label stacker comb and guide structure 68-77 of that disclosure). Apparatus l2 cooperates with mechanism 14 by receiving the edge advanced labels or other sheet-like items therefrom and arranging them in face to face relationship, in a container such as an elongated carton.

Apparatus 12 includes a reciprocable shiftable label support and advancing subassembly l6, arcuate label retention and guide subassembly 18, one-way, flow regulating, restricted opening, gate means subassembly 20, container advancing subassembly 22, and container pusher subassembly 24.

The conventional label folding, ironing, and edge advancing assembly 14 includes a pair of side by side, laterally spaced heater elements 30 (FIG. 4) which cooperate with an underlying pair of laterally spaced ironer members 32 to advance individual labels L edgewise up to and through a narrow receiving opening or passage 34 in a reciprocating feed fashion. Passage 34 has a vertical dimension slightly larger than the thickness of the label L formed between a flipper pad 38 (forming part of subassembly l6) and the lower edge of a pair of like, laterally spaced, cooperative, side by side, arcuate, label retention and guide elements 40 (forming a part of subassembly 18). Arcuate members 40 may be suitably mounted on a pair of upright plates 40a with attached brackets 40b. Hence, labels L are advanced to a position indicated by label L' (FIG. 4) resting upon flipper pad 38 when pad 38 is in its horizontal, label-receiving position.

Pad 38 is mounted to the outer end portion of a radial arm 42 which is pivotally attached at its opposite end to a pivot pin 44. This enables arm 42 and 38 to be reciprocally shifted back and forth between a label receiving horizontal position and a label discharging vertical position illustrated in phantom lines in FIG. 4. This moves the labels from the position of label L to the position label L" (shown also in phantom lines). Rotation of pin 44 is achieved by a suitable mechanical or other equivalent mechanism such as a vertical reciprocating actuator 48 through an interconnecting arm 50, link 52, and link 54, interconnecting actuator 48 and pin 44. Link 54 is affixed at one end to pin 44 and pivotally connected to link 52 at its other end. Link 52 is pivotally connected at its second end to arm 50 which is affixed to actuator 48. Actuator 48, preferably derives its power from mechanism 14 feeding the labels to the label advancer pad so as to synchronize the movements of mechanism 14 and assembly 12.

Shifting of pad 38 through this motion causes label L to be subjected to centrifugal force which causes it to slide radially outwardly on pad 38, relative to the arcuate motion. This radial movement of the label during arcuate shifting is limited and governed by the pair of arcuate curvilinear elements 40 which extend between label receiving passage 34 and a discharge gate forming part of subassembly 20. Members 40 overlie the outer edges of the individual label to retain and guide it, thereby fixing the position of the upper edge of the label as it is shifted to its vertical orientation for passage through the gate means.

The individually shifted labels are pushed by pad 38 through a gate mouth of gate subassembly 20. This mouth is smaller in width by a fraction of an inch or so than the width of the labels, but slightly larger in width than the width of pad 38. Thus, pad 38 passes freely through the gate opening while each label must be flexed momentarily by this restricted opening and the pushing force of the pad to force the label through the gate. As each label passes through the gate mouth, its inherent resilience causes it to flex back to its normal generally flat orientation as illustrated for example by the typical endfold label L" in FIG. 3. The gate therefore acts as a one-way flow regulating means'such that, as pad 38 is retracted in a reverse movement back to its initial horizontal orientation position, the label remains on the opposite side of the gate opening. As the individual labels pass through the gate means, they enter a container C aligned with the gate.

Several such containers can be stacked one upon another as shown'for example in FIG. 2, so that the lower most container is positioned to cooperate with the label feed mechanism. A plurality of vertically arranged container or carton guides 60 (FIG. 2) mounted to the assembly in fixed relationship thereto retain the stack of containers in proper position. For rapid dropping action of successive containers as the lower most container, when full, is removed, a suitable biasing weight W or the like may be employed to apply a downward biasing force. Guides 60 are arranged relative to gate means to cause the container to be laterally aligned with the gate opening. It has also been found significant to have the open label receiving end of the carton engaged against the gate as the labels are packed into place in the carton. This is achieved by carton pusher subassembly 24.

More specifically, as a carton drops down onto the pair of support tracks 64 and into alignment with the gate opening, an end pusher element 70 (illustrated as a pivotal arcuately shifting plate) is actuated by a suitable actuator such as air cylinder 72. Cylinder 72 is interconnected with plate 70 by the cylinder rod 74 and a pivot arm 76. Cylinder 72 is mounted to a suitable bracket 78. Extension of rod 74 elevates arm 76 to pivot it about pin 80 of uprights 82, thereby shifting plate 70 from a diagonal tilted position illustrated in phantom lines in FIG. 11, to the upright, carton engaging position illustrated in solid lines. Movement of plate 70 is limited by a suitable adjustable stop 86. Plate 70 pushes the elongated carton endwise, forcing its receiving end into engagement with plate members 90 and 92 defining and straddling the gate mouth. When carton C is full of labels, cylinder 72 is reversed enabling a return tension spring 94 to shift plate 70 back to its tilted position. Alternatively, cylinder 72 can be a two-way cylinder to return plate 70 to the phantom line position in FIG. I 1.

Preferably, a sponge member or other label support having edges frictionally engaging the sides of carton C is utilized to retain the initially loaded labels in the upright condition in the carton, such labels thereby being retained upright between the edges of the gate and such restraining member.

Repeated reciprocation of pad 38 through its arcuate label advancing movement, and return movement, causes carton C to be filled with labels to a desired number. The number of labels inserted can be readily controlled by the use of a conventional counter mechanism. Preferably, such counter mechanism triggers carton advance subassembly 22 to move the full carton away from its label-receiving position between carton end pusher subassembly 24 and gate means 20. The output signal from the counter mechanism is further controlled and restricted by a cam actuated switch which is timed by apparatus 14. Said cam is segmented to cause the carton pusher to advance and retract'within one synchronized cycle of apparatus 14, without interfering with flipper pad 16 and without stopping or slowing apparatus 14. Mechanism 24 is reversed just prior to this movement to release the carton. Carton advancer subassembly 22 is shown as a pair of rams 100 of a height to engage only the lowermost carton in the stack. These rams are mounted on a yoke 102 which is in turn connected to a drive shaft 104 mounted in a slide bearing 106. The opposite end of the drive shaft is connected by coupler 108 to the extended end of rod 110 of a fluid cylinder 112. Cylinder 112 is mounted to a fixed cross-member 114 of the frame subassembly, Hence, retraction of cylinder 112 shifts drive shaft 104 axially, pulling yoke 102 and rams 100 toward it, thereby pushing the full, lowermost carton C laterally from beneath the stack of cartons and along the slide 64 in a direction normal to the main dimension of the elongated carton and to the direction of label in-feed. Movement of rams 100 need only be sufficient to displace the full carton from beneath the others, since successive advancement of a series of full cartons advance the canons in a group along tracks 64. Reverse movement of rams 100 causes the next lowermost carton to drop down into receiving position. If the carton fails to drop into position correctly, a suitable micro-switch or the like is provided to detect carton absence and immediately stop apparatus 14.

Another feature of this structure which has been found significant is to have gate closure means operative during advancement of the full carton away from the gate position. If the gate is not closed, it has been found that some types of labels, particularly end fold labels, tend to catch on the edge of gate plate to be snagged out of the shifting carton. Hence, when the assembly is ready for additional labels to be placed in the next carton, this snagged label is in the way to foul the equipment, causing shut-down and removal of the troublesome label or labels. The preferred gate closure means has been found to be effected by having plate 92 (forming one edge of the gate) attached by suitable support 93 to the shiftable mechanism upon which rams are mounted. Hence, with shifting of the rams, the forward edge of plate 92 overlaps the adjacent folded edge of the outermost label L" (FIG. 3) and closes off the opening of the gate to prevent this folded edge from catching on the edge of plate 90. This overlap is achieved prior to carton shifting by having the leading edge 100' of rams 100 spaced from the adjacent side face of the carton C sufficiently to enable the edge of plate 92 to overlap the label fold before the rams begin to move the carton from beneath the stack.

Advancement of the cartons along tracks 64 is basically guided by a pair of upstanding end plates (FIG. 2) as basically illustrated by carton C in FIG. 2, it being realized that the space between the lowermost carton C in the stack, and the carton C would be filled by additional cartons being advanced in a group.

Several additional advantages of the above described apparatus may well be apparent to those in the art upon studying this disclosure. It is also possible that details of construction may be modified in several different respects without departing from the concept presented herein. Hence, it is intended that the invention is not to be limited specifically to the preferred embodiment disclosed as illustrative of the invention, but rather only by the scope of the appended claims and the reasonably equivalent structures to those defined therein.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. Apparatus for packing individual items having peripheral edges and opposite faces into a face to face array, comprising: an item support mounted to shift through an arcuate path from a first item receiving position to a second item discharging position to shift the item arcuately and, due to centrifugal force, radially; arcuate, item retention guide means adjacent said path between said first and second positions to limit radial shifting of the item being arcuately shifted by said item support and thereby fix the location of the radially outer edge of the item; and item gate means at said discharge position; container support means adjacent said item gate means for receiving items from said item support; container advancing means at said container support means for shifting full containers from said gate means; gate closure means shiftablc to close said gate means by said container advancing means during advancing movement ofsaid container advancing means.

2. The apparatus in claim 1 wherein said gate closure means comprises a movable portion of said gate means.

3. Apparatus for packing individual sheet-like items of a controlled width such as labels, into a face to face array, comprising: item support and advancing means shiftable to advance individual items oriented face forward; gate means aligned with said item support and advancing means to receive the individual items on one side thereof and pass the items therethrough; said gate means including restriction means allowing an item to be forced therethrough by said item support and preventing return of the item with said item support, to serve as a one-way flow regulator thereof; container support means adjacent said gate means and opposite said one side thereof; and container positioning means arranged to position individual containers in cooperative relation with said gate means to receive the items; container advancing means arranged to shift full containers away from said gate means, and including gate closure means operable momentarily by said container advancing means during advancement ofa full container away from said gate means. 

1. Apparatus for packing individual items having peripheral edges and opposite faces into a face to face array, comprising: an item support mounted to shift through an arcuate path from a first item receiving position to a second item discharging position to shift the item arcuately and, due to centrifugal force, radially; arcuate, item retention guide means aDjacent said path between said first and second positions to limit radial shifting of the item being arcuately shifted by said item support and thereby fix the location of the radially outer edge of the item; and item gate means at said discharge position; container support means adjacent said item gate means for receiving items from said item support; container advancing means at said container support means for shifting full containers from said gate means; gate closure means shiftable to close said gate means by said container advancing means during advancing movement of said container advancing means.
 2. The apparatus in claim 1 wherein said gate closure means comprises a movable portion of said gate means.
 3. Apparatus for packing individual sheet-like items of a controlled width such as labels, into a face to face array, comprising: item support and advancing means shiftable to advance individual items oriented face forward; gate means aligned with said item support and advancing means to receive the individual items on one side thereof and pass the items therethrough; said gate means including restriction means allowing an item to be forced therethrough by said item support and preventing return of the item with said item support, to serve as a one-way flow regulator thereof; container support means adjacent said gate means and opposite said one side thereof; and container positioning means arranged to position individual containers in cooperative relation with said gate means to receive the items; container advancing means arranged to shift full containers away from said gate means, and including gate closure means operable momentarily by said container advancing means during advancement of a full container away from said gate means. 